In the realm of Salesforce CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote), the journey from initial customer inquiry to finalized deal involves a meticulous process. One pivotal element that ensures accuracy, compliance, and consistency in this journey is the Advanced Approval Process. This dynamic system within Salesforce CPQ empowers businesses to streamline and regulate their approval workflows, minimizing errors and maximizing efficiency.
Table of contents:
1) Approval Process in Salesforce.
2) About Salesforce CPQ Advanced Approval Processes
3) Setup Guide
4) Key Components of Advanced Approval Processes
5) Key Difference between Salesforce CPQ Advanced Approvals & Salesforce Standard Approval process.
6) Benefits of Advanced Approval Processes in Salesforce CPQ
7) Conclusion
What is Approval Process:
Approvals play a very important role in any sales process. An approval process contains predefined conditions that automatically submit the important stages of sales to the approvers for review and approval. In Salesforce, we can automate these entire approvals by specifying each step of the approval process, including from whom to request approval and what to do at each point of the process.
Understanding about Advanced Approval Processes
The Advanced Approval Process in Salesforce CPQ is a robust tool that allows organizations to define, automate, and enforce their approval workflows for quotes, contracts, and other sales-related documents. It offers a highly customizable framework where rules, criteria, and conditions can be set to route documents through appropriate channels for review and approval.
Setup Guide:
1) Installation: The advanced approval process is embedded within a managed package, requiring installation from the designated platform: install.steelbrick.com.
Once the package is installed by default, the Advanced Approval Process is enabled on the Opportunities object. If you intend to enable this process for other objects then customization is necessary. Refer to the below blog specific to Salesforce CPQ Advanced Approval Process for detailed instructions on how to customize and expand its use beyond opportunities.:
2) Setup Process: To initiate the setup for advanced approvals within Salesforce CPQ, follow the detailed guidelines available at:
https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.cpq_aa_setup_parent.htm&type=5
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Key Components of Advanced Approval Processes
Approval Rules Configuration: Administrators can create sophisticated approval rules based on various criteria like deal size, product type, discount percentage, and more. These rules determine when and how a quote or contract moves through the approval chain.
Approval Steps and Chains: Multiple approval steps can be set up, each with its criteria and designated approvers. Approval chains define the sequence of approvers, ensuring documents progress through the required hierarchy.
Automated Notifications: The system sends automated notifications to approvers, keeping them informed about pending approvals, reducing delays, and ensuring swift actions.
Visibility and Tracking: Advanced Approval Processes provide visibility into the approval status of documents. Detailed tracking and reporting functionalities help monitor bottlenecks and optimize the approval workflow.
Key Difference between Advanced Approval & Standard Approval
Parallel Approval: Parallel Approval is an advanced feature designed to expedite and optimize approval processes by allowing multiple approvers to review and approve requests simultaneously. This functionality enhances efficiency by enabling parallel review and approval of various components within a quote or proposal.
Example scenario: Quote approval
Smart Approval:The Smart Approval feature is a powerful tool designed to streamline the approval process by leveraging historical data and preset conditions. Specifically tailored for advanced approval processes within CPQ, this feature enables efficient decision-making while ensuring accuracy and compliance.
Example Scenario:
Your sales rep submits a quote under the following approval rule.
Dynamic Approval : Dynamic Approval is an advanced feature that facilitates adaptable and rule-based approval processes. This functionality enables the system to dynamically determine the approval flow based on real-time conditions and criteria, ensuring flexibility and accuracy in the approval process.
Example Senario:
- Dynamic approval routing allows you to specify the approvers for each record using User lookup fields on the record requiring approval.
- The fields are populated using Apex, using data from a special custom object (the “approval matrix”) that contains all the information needed to route the record.Â
Approval History and Archival: The Approval History and Archival features play vital roles in maintaining a comprehensive record of approval actions and facilitating the storage or archival of historical approval data.
Benefits of Advanced Approval Processes in Salesforce CPQ
- Enhanced Efficiency
- Accuracy and Compliance
- Improved Visibility
- Customizability
Implementing Advanced Approval Processes
Consider the below points before implementing:
- Assessment and Planning: Understand your business requirements and map out the approval hierarchy. Identify key stakeholders and decision-makers involved in the approval chain.
- Configuration: Utilize Salesforce CPQ’s intuitive interface to set up approval rules, define criteria, and establish approval steps and chains. Leverage custom fields and objects to tailor the process to your specific needs.
- Testing and Iteration: Thoroughly test the approval process with sample quotes or contracts. Gather feedback from stakeholders and refine the setup to ensure seamless functionality.
Training and Adoption: Educate users, administrators, and approvers on the new approval process. Provide training sessions and documentation to facilitate smooth adoption.
Conclusion
The Advanced Approval Process in Salesforce CPQ is a cornerstone for organizations striving for efficiency and accuracy in their sales processes. By leveraging its customizable features, businesses can orchestrate seamless approval workflows tailored to their specific requirements, ultimately driving revenue growth and customer satisfaction.
In the dynamic landscape of sales, the ability to efficiently navigate approvals can significantly impact the speed and success of closing deals. Embracing and mastering the capabilities of Advanced Approval Processes in Salesforce CPQ can be a game-changer for businesses aiming to optimize their sales cycles and stay ahead in competitive markets.
